What led to the development of the adaptation plan?
In the process of establishing our adaptation plan, a strategic consideration emerged regarding the origins of onboarding practices, predominantly rooted in the private sector. This prompted the idea to conduct interviews with private companies, seeking insights into their best practices and strategies that contribute to successful onboarding processes.
Interviews with HR people from Czech companies were conducted, and among them, IT companies stood out for their well-structured onboarding procedures. The companies emphasize four critical points during their onboarding process:
- Clear Job Description: Prior to the commencement of onboarding, the company ensures a clear job description is provided to set expectations for the incoming employee. This step aims to clarify what is expected and what the employee should already know.
- Adaptation Plan: A comprehensive adaptation plan is implemented, consisting of four meetings – on the first day of employment and subsequently at the end of the first, second, and third months. This plan facilitates a systematic approach to the onboarding process, ensuring continuous evaluation and adjustment.
- Training Opportunities: From the outset, employees are offered training opportunities for various courses and system training, promoting continuous skill development and knowledge enhancement.
- Probation Period Evaluation: At the conclusion of the probation period, an interview is conducted to assess the employee's adaptation progress. The employee is given the opportunity to express their agreement or disagreement with continuing their employment.
Many IT companies have an elaborate Adaptation Plan i.e. a document spanning approximately 5-6 pages. The document encompasses:
- Company Values: The first page highlights the core values of the company, such as responsibility, flexibility, and teamwork, providing a foundational understanding for the new employee.
- Detailed First Day Plan: ,This covers activities such as paperwork signing, allocation of keys and codes, and providing manuals for systems operation.
- Three-Month Plan: Aligned with the probation period, the Adaptation Plan outlines a plan for the first three months, with periodic assessments at the end of each month. Regular meetings with supervisors are conducted to discuss the employee's adaptation progress.
- Probation Period Interview: On the last day of the probation period, an interview is conducted to evaluate the success of the adaptation process, providing a structured platform for feedback and discussion.